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19951217047069I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA34200 · Smyrna, TN · December 17, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 17, 1995 · 15:00 local
Place
Smyrna, TN
Airport
Smyrna
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6241J
Reported as
Piper PA34200
Reported engine
Continental TSIO360E
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,050 total1,600 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N6241JRegistration cancelled Nov 12, 2014 · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-7670272 · Built 1976Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on the afternoon of December 17, 1995, at about 2:00 p.m., local time, I departed gwinnett county - briscoe field, lzu, near atlanta, ga on a flight to nashville metropolitan international airport, bna, in nashville, TN which should have involved a flight time of about 1:05. I had obtained a standard IFR briefing from flight service, via the 1-800 number, and was satisfied that the flight could be conducted safely. A preflight of the aircraft did not reveal any reason to abort the flight. I initiated the flight, joined ATC and climbed, as directed, to 6,000 feet proceeded, in mostly IMC conditions, and conducted a normal and uneventful flight until about 45 nautical miles southeast of nashville. At that point, I was directed, by memphis center, to descend to 4,000 feet to join nashville approach and, at that time, I became concerned at the amount of fuel being indicated. I used right and left rudder to cant the aircraft back and forth to see how much movement I got on the fuel gauge needles and at that point became severely concerned and so advised nashville approach. Approach offered me a vector to the Smyrna Airport,some 4 nautical miles off the left wing and I opted for vector. After turning to a heading of 260 degrees, as directed, the left engine became inoperative, also failing to respond to cross-feeding. At this point I did not have visual contact with the Smyrna Airport. Within a short time, less than 1 minute, the right engine also became inoperative and I decided that continuing to the Smyrna Airport was not an option. At about 2700 feet, I was now below the cloud layer and, being familiar with the area, realized that I was over j. percy priest lake. With both engines inoperative and harsh terrain below, I made the decision to pick the most favorable spot and set the aircraft down. I chose a mud bank and landed there. Upon controlled contact with the surface, the aircraft slid to a stop in very short order, maybe less than 10 seconds. My two passengers and myself were unhurt. I activated my cellular telephone and called nashville flight service to advise them of my situation and my information to them. Shortly thereafter, perhaps :20 minutes, we were picked up and transported from the scene of the landing. The aircraft remains on the scene, for reasons of weather, as of 12/21/95, and so I am unable to state to what ex tent she is damaged, although she does remain reasonably intact. I continue to be in contact with a Mr. Lynn w. lafever, sr., of the flight standards dist. Office, who identified himself as an FAA official who has had the matter assigned to him.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 17, 1995, AT ABOUT 2:00 P.M., LOCAL TIME, I DEPARTED GWINNETT COUNTY - BRISCOE FIELD, LZU, NEAR ATLANTA, GA ON A FLIGHT TO NASHVILLE METROPOLITAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BNA, IN NASHVILLE, TN WHICH SHOULD HAVE INVOLVED A FLIGHT TIME OF ABOUT 1:05. I HAD OBTAINED A STANDARD IFR BRIEFING FROM FLIGHT SERVICE, VIA THE 1-800 NUMBER, AND WAS SATISFIED THAT THE FLIGHT COULD BE CONDUCTED SAFELY. A PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY REASON TO ABORT THE FLIGHT. I INITIATED THE FLIGHT, JOINED ATC AND CLIMBED, AS DIRECTED, TO 6,000 FEET PROCEEDED, IN MOSTLY IMC CONDITIONS, AND CONDUCTED A NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT UNTIL ABOUT 45 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASHVILLE. AT THAT POINT, I WAS DIRECTED, BY MEMPHIS CENTER, TO DESCEND TO 4,000 FEET TO JOIN NASHVILLE APPROACH AND, AT THAT TIME, I BECAME CONCERNED AT THE AMOUNT OF FUEL BEING INDICATED. I USED RIGHT AND LEFT RUDDER TO CANT THE AIRCRAFT BACK AND FORTH TO SEE HOW MUCH MOVEMENT I GOT ON THE FUEL GAUGE NEEDLES AND AT THAT POINT BECAME SEVERELY CONCERNED AND SO ADVISED NASHVILLE APPROACH. APPROACH OFFERED ME A VECTOR TO THE SMYRNA AIRPORT,SOME 4 NAUTICAL MILES OFF THE LEFT WING AND I OPTED FOR VECTOR.AFTER TURNING TO A HEADING OF 260 DEGREES, AS DIRECTED, THE LEFT ENGINE BECAME INOPERATIVE, ALSO FAILING TO RESPOND TO CROSS-FEEDING. AT THIS POINT I DID NOT HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE SMYRNA AIRPORT. WITHIN A SHORT TIME, LESS THAN 1 MINUTE, THE RIGHT ENGINE ALSO BECAME INOPERATIVE AND I DECIDED THAT CONTINUING TO THE SMYRNA AIRPORT WAS NOT AN OPTION. AT ABOUT 2700 FEET, I WAS NOW BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER AND, BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, REALIZED THAT I WAS OVER J. PERCY PRIEST LAKE. WITH BOTH ENGINES INOPERATIVE AND HARSH TERRAIN BELOW, I MADE THE DECISION TO PICK THE MOST FAVORABLE SPOT AND SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. I CHOSE A MUD BANK AND LANDED THERE. UPON CONTROLLED CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE, THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP IN VERY SHORT ORDER, MAYBE LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. MY TWO PASSENGERS AND MYSELF WERE UNHURT. I ACTIVATED MY CELLULAR TELEPHONE AND CALLED NASHVILLE FLIGHT SERVICE TO ADVISE THEM OF MY SITUATION AND MY INFORMATION TO THEM. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PERHAPS :20 MINUTES, WE WERE PICKED UP AND TRANSPORTED FROM THE SCENE OF THE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINS ON THE SCENE, FOR REASONS OF WEATHER, AS OF 12/21/95, AND SO I AM UNABLE TO STATE TO WHAT EX TENT SHE IS DAMAGED, ALTHOUGH SHE DOES REMAIN REASONABLY INTACT. I CONTINUE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH A MR. LYNN W. LAFEVER, SR., OF THE FLIGHT STANDARDS DIST. OFFICE, WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS AN FAA OFFICIAL WHO HAS HAD THE MATTER ASSIGNED TO HIM.